One of the biggest food drives for the local food bank has been postponed but organizers are still doing whatever they can do ensure no one goes hungry in the Cochrane area. 

The semi annual food drive put on by the Helping Hands Society of Cochrane & Area was supposed to be held next weekend but because of the COVID-19 pandemic it's been postponed. 

Matthew Hagel, Executive Director of the Helping Hands Society of Cochrane & Area says they have over 200 volunteers that are still showing up to help out. 

"We're using our volunteers to help deliver the food hampers that the food bank sends out every week. They were on average doing around 40 or 50 a week just during their regular program."

He says they're also delivering meals. 

"We're kind of partnered with a local caterer who is working out of the Frank Wills Hall and they're helping by delivering pasta meals out to folks so we have our volunteers helping out with that as well."

Hagel says "Our hope is obviously to run the one in September. I think if things dramatically change with all of the social distancing rules and everything else then we would look at possibly running one in the summer but I think more realistically we're looking to do the fall food drive which is held in mid September."

Over 800 volunteers come out to help with the two annual food drives each year. 

"The food drives generally supply about 50 per cent of the food bank, so it is a huge amount. We basically do about 1500 cases of food collected and those are turned into multiple hampers."

Hagel is encouraging Cochranites to continue to make donations to the local food bank. 

The Activettes also welcome people to drop off nonperishable food, personal care items, and cleaning products outside the door of The Clothesline, #3 122-4 Ave., between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The store is otherwise closed.

With town offices being closed, Helping Hands is operating remotely.

You can contact them by phoning 587-580-9448. 

Or emailing programsmanager@helpinghandscochrane.ca or executivedirector@helpinghandscochrane.ca.